Burning More than Calories

Hannah

The next several weeks were filled with Facebook group activities, a team workout that was coached by Ty, lots of almost glares from Mallory, and an awkward follow request from Coach Jordan.

And avoiding eye contact with him in the studio after he liked a particular picture of me taken from the back with no shirt on.

Parker loved the tension buildup, but I did not. Jordan had taken to grabbing station number six, which he knew I always took, on the rower every workout.

His eyes on me through the mirror during the first rotation always made it hard to concentrate. I completely missed Mal calling time on a sprint one class, and she actually told me over the headset that I could slow down.

I was mortified, but when his eyes lingered on my shorts as I climbed off the treadmill, I decided it was worth it.

Parker kept trying to coax me into daily weigh-ins, but I still refused. I felt stronger, and muscles were appearing slowly in my shoulders and thighs that I knew weren’t there before.

I didn’t need a scale to tell me that my body was changing.

***

~Congratulations on making it to week six, Team Green Machine!~

~You’ve all been doing a fantastic job of sticking to your weekly routines, working hard, and eating clean.~

~I’m so proud to coach all of you and watch the incredible progress that you’ve made over the last month and a half.~

~Some of you had rarely stepped into the studio, and now I can’t get you to leave! I love the attitude changes I’m seeing. Several of you now enjoy the machines or exercises you used to grumble about.~

He was right. I didn’t mind the rower now that I actually had muscles in my legs that could hold up to rowing long distances. I had the highest women’s rowing benchmark during the class when we did it.

The look on Jordan’s face when I finished was worth every bit of burn in my body.

I know your schedules are hectic, so I’ll get to the point.

Next Saturday, we’ve got another team building activity. There will only be one more organized activity after this one, so please try to attend one of the two.

Meet me at the main entrance of Metro Momentum for our private rock-climbing class. Let’s see how much progress we’ve made with our overall body strength.

RSVP to this email if you can make it.

Coach Jordan

***

Tatum

rock climbing? I’m kinda stoked. You in?

Hannah

think he’d let me bring Parker?

Tatum

emotional support gay?

Hannah

yes! Brilliant idea!

Tatum

who cares if he’s allowed. He can be an honorary member of our team.

It wasn’t that I needed Parker as a crutch; I just didn’t trust myself anymore.

Hannah

what does one wear while rock climbing?

Tatum

spandex shorts and a low cut top

Hannah

I still have to make it through two more weeks.

Tatum

might as well give him a nice preview. He won’t be able to keep his hands off you when this is all over.

Jordan barely kept his hands off me now. I didn’t even have to look anymore if I felt a large palm rest on my back in the hallway.

He was always putting his hands on me in subtle ways if he thought my form needed correction.

He’d even taken to “accidentally” making sure our hands brushed as we switched stations in class.

To say that the last month has been filled with subtle foreplay would be an understatement. I am riled up and have nothing to diffuse all the tension besides myself.

***

“Okay, I never thought I’d be saying this phrase in this context, to you of all people... but…” Parker mused as he looked over my outfit. “Damn, girl, your ass is looking tight these days.”

I glanced down at the just-shy-of-knee-length, figure-hugging shorts I was wearing and began second-guessing myself.

“These are okay, right? I know they’re snug, but Tatum said that…” I rambled.

Parker put his arm around my shoulder and hugged me.

“Girl, you’re looking hot. I mean, you’ve always been gorgeous, but with the tone you’ve developed, your curves pop more,” he complimented.

“Just take a deep breath. Today will be fun. Just think about how Jordan’s eyes are gonna bug out when he sees your new gear.”

Tatum and I had gone to her favorite athletic wear store last week and picked out some more figure-hugging outfits for me.

They made me feel a little self-conscious, but I was fully covered. And I had to admit my figure had turned into an alluring hourglass.

My once undefined waistline now had a gentle curve to it, and while my stomach would never be totally flat, it wasn’t as rounded anymore.

My legs and arms felt strong now. It was a strange feeling at first, but I found that I liked it. It showed how hard I had been working.

“Are you ready to go in?” Parker asked as we stood at the entrance doors.

“No,” I laughed as he pressed his hand into my back and forced me through the front door of the rock-climbing gym.

As soon as we stepped through the doors, I could see massive, gray, angled walls reaching up to the ceiling.

Colorful handholds dotted the space, and I found myself getting a little anxious as I processed how high some of them were.

“’Sup, bitches?” Tatum greeted with a nod as we joined her near the entrance.

“Is anyone else here yet?” I asked as I continued to look around the space.

“Yeah.” She nodded toward the back of the ample space. “There’s a little group inside who’s watching our instructor goof off. He’s free climbing the wall.”

“Is he hot?” Parker asked curiously. Of course he was here to ogle.

“So hot,” she said. “Come watch. I don’t know if Jordan’s here yet. He had to do his sessions this morning.”

“How was he?” I asked curiously. The little bit of distance I’d created helped me stay focused, but I still wanted to know about how Jordan was coping.

“Still grumpy, but he’s hanging in there. Bitter as hell that you keep going to Mollie,” she said. “He doesn’t like it when he can’t control a situation. You’re really throwing him for a loop.”

“It’s better for everyone that way.”

“Sure...” she taunted. “If that’s what you’ve gotta tell yourself.”

“Whatever.” Parker clapped as he bounced in place. “Let’s go see this hot climbing instructor.”

“Don’t you kinda have a boyfriend?” I side-eyed him with a raised brow.

“Yes…” He nodded. “But I can still admire the fine male form.”

“Nothing wrong with a little engine revving as long as you park in the right garage.” Tatum laughed.

“Fine, take me to this hot wall monkey.” I sighed dramatically.

Parker and I followed Tatum into the maze of walls that spanned from floor to ceiling. They were fairly busy for a Saturday afternoon, with people of all ages climbing and watching.

“There he is.” She pointed upward. I followed her gaze to about halfway up a wall.

Holy crap, that guy’s arms were cut.

“Just wait till you see his face,” she smiled, looking back at us.

We stood in the small crowd of people, about fifteen feet back from the wall. It made me nervous to watch him climb higher and higher with no rope to tether him.

“I’m wet. Is anyone else here wet?” Parker whispered, and Tatum started quietly laughing.

I couldn’t take my eyes off the seemingly monkey-like man who had almost made it to the soaring ceilings without a harness.

When he reached the top, the small crowd cheered, and he started his descent. You could tell by his movements that he was methodically planning his route down.

He reached the bottom and bent into a low bow, earning more claps from our group. It had been impressive to watch.

“Well, looks like I finished just in time,” he said as he looked down at his watch and then back to us.

When his head raised, Parker gasped, and I somehow managed to hold mine in.

“Holy mother of Jesus.”

“Told you,” Tatum whispered.

My eyes widened as I took in the handsome rock-climbing instructor. He was around six feet tall, a few inches shy of Jordan, with skin tanned a golden brown and lean muscles on display everywhere.

His hair was golden blonde and lightened toward the ends. In every sense of the word, he was pretty.

“My name is Javi,” he addressed us, his slight accent audible. “I’m one of the senior instructors here at Metro Momentum, and I’ve been climbing competitively since I was twelve years old.”

“Okay, I know you’ve all got at least a base level of fitness. Congratulations on completing six weeks of your challenge. I’m going to pair you off, and you can help your partners get their harnesses on.

“As much as I’m sure some of you more adventurous souls would love to free climb, I’m afraid that’s just reserved for our elite climbers and instructors.

“It takes years of training and practice to be able to master the balance needed to free climb.”

He was charming for sure, smiling and winking his way through the demonstration on how to put on your harness and tighten the leg straps.

He started at the front of the group and began pairing people off, handing out equipment as he went.

He gave Tatum and Parker their harnesses and turned to me. “Okay, you two pair up and…” I was the only one left.

“Sorry, gorgeous.” He winked as he held out his hand. My hand trembled as he shook it firmly, and I couldn’t find the words to speak. “Looks like you’re stuck with me.”

I glanced around me, and everyone was already paired, awkwardly trying to balance while pulling on their harnesses.

“That’s okay,” I said quietly.

“Javi,” he said gently, taking my hand, his thumb caressing the back of it. He was smooth. “Who do I have the pleasure of working with today?”

I shot Parker a look of panic, and he had the nerve to mimic a blow job with his tongue in his cheek. Tatum was wiggling her eyebrows. They were obviously not going to be any help.

“Hannah.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Hannah. Have you ever climbed before?” he asked as his eyes held mine.

“No, I haven’t,” I told him honestly. This was all new for me.

“That’s a shame. Although, I would surely remember it if I’d seen you in here before.”

“Nope, first time here,” I confirmed.

“Don’t worry, Hannah. I’ll be gentle,” he assured as he released my hand. I flexed it a little, fighting off a blush.

“May I help you into your harness?” he asked as he held the straps of nylon in front of me and gestured for me to step into the leg holes. “Just grab hold of me. I’ve got you.”

The octave of his voice dropped, and he looked up at me with his beguiling, bright blue eyes. This man was sex on legs.

I placed a hand on his shoulder and slowly raised my foot toward the opening on the harness. Right as my toes passed through, a familiar voice rang out behind me.

“Nice try, Javi. I'll take it from here.”

When I glanced over my shoulder, dropping my foot back to the ground, Jordan was staring at both of us with a determined look.